pickup

[pik-uhp]

noun

1. an improvement, as in health, business conditions, work, production, etc.

2. Informal.,  pick-me-up.

3. Informal.,  a casual, usually unintroduced acquaintance, often one made in hope of a sexual relationship.

4. an instance of stopping for or taking aboard passengers or freight, as by a train, ship, taxicab, etc., especially an instance of taking freight or a shipment of goods onto a truck.

5. the person, freight, or shipment so taken aboard.

   The cab driver had a pickup at the airport who wanted to be driven to the docks.

6. Automotive.

   1. capacity for rapid acceleration.

   2. acceleration; increase in speed.

   3. Also called pickup truck. a small truck with a low-sided open body, used for deliveries and light hauling.

7. Baseball.,  the act of fielding a ball after it hits the ground.

8. Also called cartridge. a small device attached to the end of a phonograph tone arm that contains a stylus and the mechanism that translates the movement of the stylus in a record groove into a changing electrical voltage.

9. Radio.

   1. the act of receiving sound waves in the transmitting set in order to change them into electrical waves.

   2. a receiving or recording device.

   3. the place from which a broadcast is being transmitted.

   4. interference.

10. Television.

    1. the change of light energy into electrical energy in a television camera.

    2. camera tube.

    3. a telecast made directly from the scene of an action.

11. a hitchhiker.

12. Metalworking.,  (in the cold-drawing of metal) the adhesion of particles of the metal to the die or plug.

adjective

1. composed of or employing whatever persons are available on a more or less impromptu basis.

   a pickup game of baseball; a pickup dance band.

2. using whatever ingredients are handy or available.

   a Sunday night pickup supper.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pickup¹

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase pick up

Example Sentences

Ford is the biggest user of the plant, and its F-150 pickup is one of the industry’s biggest users of aluminum.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It is more profitable for them to manufacture familiar gas-powered SUVs and pickups than to pursue new supply chains and retool their lines.

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Volunteers are helping with trash pickup and other tasks in many parks.

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GM also offers EV pickup trucks, a commercial van, and other Cadillac options.

Read more on Barron's

The pickup helped Delta’s revenue rise 6% to $16.67 billion in the third quarter from a year earlier, ahead of Wall Street expectations, boosted by premium cabin demand, corporate travel and its loyalty program customers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acceleration